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Avatar Press launched in December 1996 with three titles: ''Pandora'', ''Silent Rapture'', and ''Donna Mia''. ''Lookers'' followed in January, 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Avatar Gears Up For December |url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981202063217/http://www.avatarpress.com/archive.htm#launch |archive-date=1998-12-02 |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Avatar Press website}}</ref> The founding publisher was Richard Christensen, his son William Christensen was editor-in-chief, and Mark Seifert was creative director.<ref>{{Cite comic |title= ''Pandora'' |volume= 1 |issue= 1 |date= January 1997 |publisher= Avatar Press}}</ref>
Avatar Press launched in December 1996 with three titles: ''Pandora'', ''Silent Rapture'', and ''Donna Mia''. ''Lookers'' followed in January, 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Avatar Gears Up For December |url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981202063217/http://www.avatarpress.com/archive.htm#launch |archive-date=1998-12-02 |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Avatar Press website}}</ref> The founding publisher was Richard Christensen, his son William Christensen was editor-in-chief, and Mark Seifert was creative director.<ref>{{Cite comic |title= ''Pandora'' |volume= 1 |issue= 1 |date= January 1997 |publisher= Avatar Press}}</ref>


The Christensens already owned the comic book retail outfit Comic Cavalcade, which they started in 1989 when William Christensen was 16 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comic Cavalcade {{!}} Better Business Bureau® Profile |url=https://www.bbb.org/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=www.bbb.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=tmitchel@news-gazette.com |first=Tim Mitchell |date=2005-05-17 |title=Comic book dealer wants to use site as a warehouse |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/news/comic-book-dealer-wants-to-use-site-as-a-warehouse/article_2267d106-c7bc-52e2-b096-05603c555235.html |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The News-Gazette |language=en}}</ref> Seifert worked as a manager at Comic Cavalcade.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carlson |first=Debbie |date=November 23, 1992 |title=Superman's death sparks reflection, sends dealers searching for more |work=Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois}}</ref> William Christensen had been a freelance contributor to ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' magazine before founding Avatar Press.
William Christensen had been a freelance contributor to ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' magazine before founding Avatar Press.


As part of an effort to expand beyond its reputation as a [[Bad girl art|bad girl]] publisher, Avatar offered a number of noted creators an opportunity to publish creator-owned books with no content restrictions whatsoever.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}} Among the creators to take Avatar up on its offer were [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]], [[Warren Ellis]], [[Alan Moore]], and [[Garth Ennis]].
As part of an effort to expand beyond its reputation as a [[Bad girl art|bad girl]] publisher, Avatar offered a number of noted creators an opportunity to publish creator-owned books with no content restrictions whatsoever.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}} Among the creators to take Avatar up on its offer were [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]], [[Warren Ellis]], [[Alan Moore]], and [[Garth Ennis]].
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The company has also licensed comic book adaptations of famous science-fiction and horror movies and television shows, such as ''[[RoboCop]]'', ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'', and ''[[Friday the 13th (1980 film)|Friday the 13th]]''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}
The company has also licensed comic book adaptations of famous science-fiction and horror movies and television shows, such as ''[[RoboCop]]'', ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'', and ''[[Friday the 13th (1980 film)|Friday the 13th]]''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}
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==Titles==
==Titles==

Revision as of 01:22, 25 June 2023

Avatar Press
Founded1996; 29 years ago (1996)
FounderWilliam A. Christensen
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationRantoul, Illinois
DistributionDiamond Book Distributors (books)[1]
Key peopleWarren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Alan Moore
Publication typesComic books
Fiction genresBad girl
ImprintsBoundless Comics
Bleeding Cool
Official websiteavatarpress.com

Avatar Press is an independent American comic book publisher founded in 1996 by William A. Christensen, and based in Rantoul, Illinois. Avatar Press is most notable for publishing bad girl comics, such as Faust, Pandora, Hellina, Lookers, The Ravening, and Brian Pulido's Lady Death. Such comics are currently published under the "Boundless Comics" imprint.

Avatar has a strong web presence, anchored by Warren Ellis' FreakAngels webcomic, as well as the comics news site Bleeding Cool, helmed by Rich Johnston.

History

Founder and editor-in-chief William A. Christensen.

Avatar Press launched in December 1996 with three titles: Pandora, Silent Rapture, and Donna Mia. Lookers followed in January, 1997.[2] The founding publisher was Richard Christensen, his son William Christensen was editor-in-chief, and Mark Seifert was creative director.[3]

The Christensens already owned the comic book retail outfit Comic Cavalcade, which they started in 1989 when William Christensen was 16 years old.[4][5] Seifert worked as a manager at Comic Cavalcade.[6] William Christensen had been a freelance contributor to Wizard magazine before founding Avatar Press.

As part of an effort to expand beyond its reputation as a bad girl publisher, Avatar offered a number of noted creators an opportunity to publish creator-owned books with no content restrictions whatsoever.[citation needed] Among the creators to take Avatar up on its offer were Frank Miller, Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, and Garth Ennis.

The company has also licensed comic book adaptations of famous science-fiction and horror movies and television shows, such as RoboCop, Night of the Living Dead, and Friday the 13th.[citation needed]


Titles

By author

Selected other titles

  • Pandora (Avatar's flagship character)
  • Demonslayer by Marat Mychael
  • Dreamwalker by Jenni Gregory
  • Hellina
  • Jungle Fantasy, starring Fauna from the Threshold series' "Fauna, Jungle Girl"
  • Jungle Fantasy: Ivory, starring an independent cave-woman named Ivory who is a "widow" in search of her infant son who was abducted
  • Lookers
  • Medieval Lady Death
  • Nira-X Cyberangel by Bill Maus
  • The Ravening
  • Razor by Everette Hartsoe
  • Rich Johnston's Holed Up by Rich Johnston
  • Twilight, which, along with Twilight: Live Wire, was reprinted in Twilight: Raw

Adaptations and licensed properties

References

  1. ^ Our Publishers
  2. ^ "Avatar Gears Up For December". Avatar Press website. Retrieved 2023-06-25. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  3. ^ Pandora', vol. 1, no. 1 (January 1997). Avatar Press.
  4. ^ "Comic Cavalcade | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  5. ^ tmitchel@news-gazette.com, Tim Mitchell (2005-05-17). "Comic book dealer wants to use site as a warehouse". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  6. ^ Carlson, Debbie (November 23, 1992). "Superman's death sparks reflection, sends dealers searching for more". Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois.
  7. ^ "Future Imperfect: Jamie Delano talks Narcopolis". Comic Book Resources. November 7, 2007.
  8. ^ "Entering Narcopolis I: Jamie Delano". Newsarama. March 1, 2008. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009.
  9. ^ "Double-Crossed: Ennis & Burrows talk Crossed". Comic Book Resources. June 12, 2008.
  10. ^ "CCI: Christos Gage discusses Absolution". Comic Book Resources. July 23, 2008.
  11. ^ Leader, Michael (November 3, 2009). "Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie Interview". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  12. ^ "WW Philly: The Avatar Panel". Newsarama. June 1, 2008. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009.
  13. ^ "Escape of the Living Dead". Avatar Press.
  14. ^ "WWC XTRA: Picking the Brains of a 'Living Dead' Legend with Avatar Press". Comic Book Resources. August 13, 2007.